Between now and Opening Day, HardballTalk will take a look at each of baseball’s 30 teams, asking the key questions, the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2014 season. Next up: The Boston Red Sox.

The Big Question: Have the Red Sox taken the steps necessary to avoid a post-championship decline?

No team has repeated as World Series champions since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. The Red Sox, though, didn’t suffer from any championship hangovers their last two times around, winning 95 games and returning to the postseason in both 2005 and 2008.

So, the Red Sox are counting on their returning stars and a gradual infusion of young talent to stave off any decline. Boasting one of the game’s very best farm systems makes that an easier choice, and if it turns out that they do need help as the season goes along, they’ll have about as much artillery to pull off a trade as any team in the league.

What else is going on?

The Bradley-Sizemore battle in center remains unsettled, and complicating matters is that there’s only room for one on the roster. Sizemore has shown surprising speed as he comes back from multiple knee surgeries and he’s also been making decent contact at the plate, but a month in the minors might not be a bad idea for him as he tries to shake two years of rust.

Working in Sizemore’s favor is that the Red Sox see him as a possibility to replace Ellsbury in the leadoff spot, whereas Bradley would hit at the bottom of the order if he wins the job. There was some thought over the winter of simply moving everyone up a spot and going with a Shane Victorino–Dustin Pedroia–David Ortiz top three with Ellsbury gone. However, that idea seems dead now, and it looks like Daniel Nava will lead off against righties if Bradley makes the team.

Victorino hasn’t ruled out switch-hitting entirely, but it appears he’ll focus on batting right-handed for now. It made him more of a threat against righties last year when an injury forced him to give up batting left-handed for a time, and he’s always been weaker left-handed anyway. Batting right-handed exclusively could lead to bigger numbers this year. On the other hand, it could also lead to more injuries, since he stands directly over the plate hitting right-handed and gets hit by pitches with ridiculous frequency.

So far, however, the injury bug that has racked fellow contenders in Texas and Detroit, as well as left Oakland minus a couple of starters, has avoided Boston. Those losses the Rangers, Tigers and A’s have suffered may not affect the AL East race, but they will help the Red Sox’s postseason chances by increasing the odds that one or both wild cards will come from their division.

Prediction: If spring training numbers are any indication, it’s going to take some time for the Red Sox lineup to start clicking. Still, the bats are there to make the team a top-three offense in the AL, and the pitching staff has both top-level talent and excellent depth. The Red Sox’s decision to largely stand pat could cost them a few wins and perhaps the AL East, but the team should return to the postseason in some form.

Still currently waiting for the “2014 Preview: Atlanta Braves” though, hopes it comes out soon.

ez4u2sa - Mar 26, 2014 at 5:49 AM

While the Rays are a popular pick to win the division, until they do, the Sox should remain the favorites to repeat as division winners. The two teams will battle it out over the season leaving the aging Yankees in a woeful third place at best.

Well if your possibly be talking about offensively the Yanks would probably have trouble there but for me in a Pitching perspective they still might have chance , Not a big chance but still a chance they might make it to 2nd place or possibly take the Wildcard even with an aging pitching staff.

If the Yankee personnel was on any other team, it would be picked for last place, unanimously. The line-up would be contending in 2005. The bench and minors are thin. The likely ace has never won a game in the majors; the long-time anchor of the bullpen is gone. Unless they are very lucky, NY won’t get to 80 wins.

The Yankees will need the CC from about five years ago, and they need Tanaka to win 15-18 games to have any chance. I just see too many holes for the Yanks. I see a 2 team race for the division. Boston will probably struggle to score some runs early in the season, but their pitching is probably the tie-breaker. Boston by a few games.

What is this Yankees “aging pitching staff” people keep writing about? Sabathia is 33, Nova is 27, Tanaka and Pineda are 25. They have Banuelos coming back at only 23. Robertson is 29, Warren is 26, Betances is 26, Claiborne is 26. The only old guys are Kuroda at 39 and Thornton at 37. Their position players may be collecting Social Security, but not their pitching staff.

Banuelos is two years removed from pitching, essentially. His only goal is to make it through AAA healthy all year. He’s not pitching in the bigs this year. But they still have Phelps, Warren and Nuno who are all under 30 available.

Yes, it will be a fun race. No, the Yankees are NOT a good team. They are the best bet to crash and burn of all the teams in the AL…everyone in the lineup except third and left are old or injury-prone.

Every team has some pitching question marks. So far this spring, the Yankees starters have probably out performed Boston’s. Lester, Buchholz and Peavey have all had strong springs; however, Dubront and Lackey have struggled. Ortiz, and Bradley have been in a slump all spring. The best Boston hitters this spring seem to have been Sizemore and Middlebrooks.

Pedroia played hurt the whole year. I’m not even sure that any players had career years for the Red Sox. Arguably, you have a healthy Pedroia this year who will hit for more power, Will Middlebrooks having a productive season, more production at short with Bogearts > Drew, less time on the DL for Buccholz, a better first half from Lester, a better full season from Peavy, further removed from his injury. I would say the Red Sox didn’t get any breaks, but EVERYTHING didn’t go right. They won the WS because they had depth and were a very strong well rounded team. That’s still there.